SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " ETH " 9,251 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Top Five Climate Science Scandals 2025
Bad science, Trump vengeance, USNCA, "climate risk," and the top holds steady
2025 IN REVIEW: Movement on Columbia County’s business scene
As 2025 comes to a close, Columbia County’s business scene looks a little different than it did a year ago. A handful of new restaurants added something new to the […]
How ‘Call of Duty’ Got Dethroned in 2025
‘Battlefield,’ ‘ARC Raiders,’ and the juggernaut franchise’s own failings knocked ‘Black Ops 7’ off the series’ perennial top perch
Sapphire RX 9070 XT NITRO hits fifth burned power cable report
New RX 9070 XT NITRO report shows heavier burn marks than prior cases Credit: EKB_1130, e92justin, ProfessionalHost3913, divinethreshold Another Sapphire
These Des Moines business owners seek to build community spaces
From food pantries and pop-up events to crafting, these Des Moines entrepreneurs hope to make money and bring people together in new ways.
Looking for fun things to do on New Year's Eve? Try these 5 events
Whether you want to ring in the new year with one last hurrah, or you need something to do to forget it all, try these NYE events near Des Moines.
Brennan Johnson transfer news: Crystal Palace agree £35m fee with Tottenham for winger
Brennan Johnson is yet to make a final decision on whether to join Crystal Palace, Sky Sports News understands; Johnson joined Tottenham for £47.5m from Nottingham Forest; 24-year-old has scored 27 goals in 107 games, including the Europa League final winner
Workplace Medicine: Building health and business together | LMH Health
LMH Health Workplace Medicine is redefining occupational medicine in Lawrence and beyond. With a focus on communication, relationships and comprehensive care, we help keep employees safe, healthy and thriving.
Revisited: Is Trump building a political dynasty?
Jonathan Freedland and the Politics Weekly America team are taking a break this week, so we’re replaying a special series made during the summer, all about the Trump family and whether the president is planning to pass on the political baton once he has to leave office
Health officials see spike in flu cases in Cook County after Christmas holiday
Chicago health officials are urging residents to get the influenza vaccine to keep themselves safe as the region and nation are seeing an uptick in cases.
Audit of the Financial and Operating Practices of the Joint Health Insurance Stabilization Fund
To the Residents of the City of New York, My office has audited the Health Insurance Stabilization Fund (HISF) to determine the Fund’s financial condition, whether the Fund was used for its intended purpose(s), and whether expenditures were reasonable, appropriate, adequately supported, and properly authorized. The audit found that HISF...
Business News January 2026
• The Agency is Expanding • Orangetheory Fitness Transformation Challenge • Weekend Warrior Home Decorating Classes • Introduction to Zen Meditation • Ready for a new car? • Cedar Mill Farmers Market
9 Kings, Silksong, And More: Ethan Gach's Top 10 Games Of 2025
Can I just pick Final Fantasy Tactics 10 times?
Stories That Stuck With Us This Year, Handpicked by the KQED Science Team
Our science reporters recount stories they found especially memorable, thought-provoking or that changed how they thought about something.
'Putting the servers in orbit is a stupid idea': Could data centers in space help avoid an AI energy crisis? Experts are torn.
Google’s proposal to explore space-based AI infrastructure raises fundamental questions about energy, physics and feasibility – and whether Earth has really run out of options.
The Year in Business Aviation: NBAA’s Top Stories of 2025
Whether advocating for the industry, keeping members informed on critical operational issues, or bringing professionals together for unparalleled connection, 2025 proved to be a pivotal year for business aviation.
Beth Macy, the Bestselling Author of “Dopesick,” is Running for Congress. Is She the Liberal JD Vance?
She’s written movingly about hollowed-out factory towns — just like another writer-turned-pol.
Scientists found a dangerous feedback loop accelerating Arctic warming
The Arctic is changing rapidly, and scientists have uncovered a powerful mix of natural and human-driven processes fueling that change. Cracks in sea ice release heat and pollutants that form clouds and speed up melting, while emissions from nearby oil fields alter the chemistry of the air. These interactions trigger feedback loops that let in more sunlight, generate smog, and push warming even further. Together, they paint a troubling picture of how fragile the Arctic system has become.
4 more African nations secure $2.3bn US health funding under America First strategy
The United States has signed four new Global Health Cooperation Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with Ethiopia, Botswana, Sierra Leone and Madagascar, marking a major expansion of Washington’s health engagement in Africa under President Donald Trump’s America First Global Health Strategy
Thinking through what may be on tap in 2026
When the three-million-year-old bones of Lucy were unearthed in an Ethiopian valley in 1974, paleoanthropologists anointed her as the Eve to all of us. Though her skull was not big enough to accommodate our larger, homo sapiens’ brain, she was a genetic hominid. Although a few bone fragments of a greater age have been discovered […]
Photos: The biggest entertainment and fashion moments of 2025
In a year that zoomed by, AP’s photographers captured perfect images of stellar entertainment moments, whether they were on stages, runways or red carpets.
2025: AI and AR Transform Communication and Entertainment
In 2025, communication and entertainment sectors evolve through AI-driven personalization, immersive technologies like AR/VR, and interactive social platforms, fostering seamless hybrid experiences and authentic content. Challenges include privacy concerns and infrastructure needs. Ultimately, these innovations amplify human connections while demanding ethical adaptations.
NFL picks for Week 17, exact score predictions, best bets today from self-learning AI
SportsLine's self-learning AI reveals its betting guide for the rest of the Week 17 NFL schedule
Commentary: America tried something new in 2025. It's not going well
Glow up or grow up? Times columnists Anita Chabria and Mark Z. Barabak look back and assess whether 2025 was good for America or an unmitigated disaster.
Louisiana health notes: A new health education building, doctors in Baton Rouge and more
Health Notes is an occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Have something you'd like to share? Contact us at margaret.delaney@theadvocate.com.
Pittsburgh should stop making businesses pay income taxes
Thank you for today’s editorial supporting a land-value tax and explaining the logic behind it. I ask you, who seem to understand that taxing something...
No. 20 Illinois faces battle-tested Southern
Physically rested from a week-long Christmas break, No. 20 Illinois nonetheless returns to the floor against Southern on Monday in Champaign, Ill., with little reprieve from coach Brad Underwood's favorite talking point.
Penn State 22, Clemson 10: A Fine Finish
Penn State’s tumultuous 2025 football season came to a close Saturday afternoon in Yankee Stadium. Thankfully, it ended with a fourth straight win, a little bit of fun, and some big plays from both familiar faces and some guys who were thrown into the fire. Ethan Grunkemeyer threw two touchdown passes in the final quarter […]
Gwyneth Paltrow addresses discourse over 'Shakespeare in Love' winning Best Picture Oscar over 'Saving Private Ryan'
Gwyneth Paltrow opens up about the discourse over 'Shakespeare in Love' controversially winning the Best Picture Oscar over 'Saving Private Ryan,' which was directed by her godfather Steven Spielberg.
I Never Pay for Cloud Storage: Here's My DIY Method for Storing Photos and Videos
Our memories take up space in the cloud, and that space is expensive.
Rainbow Six Siege Hacked as Players Get Billions of Credits and Random Bans
Rainbow Six Siege appears to have been hacked as global server outages hit all platforms, with players reporting billions of credits, dev skins, and random bans while Ubisoft calls it a server incident.
Bye bye, Wi-Fi: How to add a wired network to your home without running Ethernet
Turn your cable outlets into high-speed internet ports with this simple, low-cost adapter - no rewiring required.
This is ‘brain rot,’ a slang term with something to it
Teens talk about their “brain rot” online. While there isn’t data to back it up, per se, experts do have concerns about the effect on kids and adults.
Best of Clarksville Showcases Local Businesses, Entertainment, and Family Fun - Clarksville Online - Clarksville News, Sports, Events and Information
Clarksville, TN - The 29th Annual Best of Clarksville triumphantly returned to Governor's Square Mall in October, bringing together the best businesses
Scientists may have found the best place for humans to land on Mars
A newly identified region on Mars may hold the key to future human landings. Researchers found evidence of water ice less than a meter beneath the surface, close enough to be harvested for water, oxygen, and fuel. The location strikes a rare balance between sunlight and cold, helping preserve the ice. It could also offer clues about whether Mars once supported life.
Ethics investigations, scandals plague Colorado Capitol
Over the course of the year, a series of investigations, allegations and controversies emerged at the state Capitol, drawing scrutiny to the behavior of elected officials and, in some cases, overshadowing policy debates. Here are some of the notable investigations, stories and accusations to come out of Colorado’s latest legislative session. Sonya Jaquez Lewis In […]
Feuding physicists and the bitter battle over the swirls in ‘The Starry Night’
A team of scientists sparked a heated debate over whether Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night depicts turbulence, a complex physical phenomenon.
Jay M. Savage, witness to disappearing frogs and builder of tropical science
In the late 1980s, something began to go wrong in places that were supposed to be safe. Protected cloud forests, buffered from chainsaws and bulldozers, started losing animals that had persisted through far rougher times. Amphibians—often abundant, often overlooked—were vanishing in patterns that did not fit the usual explanations. Field biologists, trained to distrust drama, […]
Skyrim Meets Stardew Valley in New Free RPG, Out Today
Ethernia is a new pixel-art fantasy RPG that's available from today on PC via Steam for free.
Bishop Verot (Fla.) reveals 2026 football schedule
Yes we know, the 2025 high school football season literally just ended, but when it comes to the prep gridiron, it never sleeps around the nation. One thing that is evident already is teams are getting a head start on putting together and even finalizing their schedules for the 2026 high school football season. It’s […]
Something fundamental about black holes may be changing
New observations reveal that the relationship between ultraviolet and X-ray light in quasars has changed over billions of years. This unexpected shift suggests the structure around supermassive black holes may evolve with time, challenging a decades-old assumption.
Six Brilliant Brain Science And Psychology Books From The Year
A selection of science-based books from the year that together shine new light on who we are and why we think and act as we do.
Channel 3 Sports Ode to Joy
BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - We are taking a deep look back on 2025 all this week in our “Year in review” series, and tonight, we continue a Channel 3 Sports Christmas tradition: some of the biggest moments from our year set to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.
Small businesses sound the alarm as inflation, high rates crush Main Street
‘The Big Money Show’ panel discusses whether small businesses are being squeezed by inflation, high borrowing costs and corporate dominance as Wall Street profits soar and bankruptcies on Main Street hit record highs.
Bethel's Sycamore Drive-In closed after 78 years of business
Ownership noted that the Sycamore Drive-In's lease was not renewed.
Kenneth Shepard’s Top 10 Games Of 2025
How many times am I allowed to put ‘Running around with Mega Raichu in Pokemon Legends: Z-A’ on here?
Treat yourself: The best smart glasses to buy with your holiday gift money
Whether you’re looking to get a pair yourself or just want to explore what’s available on the market today, we’ve compiled a list of the most compelling pairs available.
Made for More Health: Knowing when it's more than a cold
In this Made for More Health segment, Dr. Diaz Martinez explains how to recognize when a simple cold may signal something more serious.
The 20 best college towns across the US, ranked
WalletHub ranked over 400 cities based on affordability, social scene, and academic opportunity. These are the top 20 best college towns in the US.
Israeli scientists say tiny organisms can revamp their own RNA to survive extreme heat
Using a novel method, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers map 16 types of simultaneous changes in dozens of samples; findings can lead to improved RNA-based medical technologies
One Big Beautiful Bill Act complicates state health care affordability efforts
As Congress debates whether to extend the temporary federal subsidies that have helped millions of Americans buy health coverage, a crucial underlying reality is sometimes overlooked: Those subsidies are merely a band-aid covering the often unaffordable cost of health care.
Why scientists are catching whale breaths....with drones : Short Wave
Scientists in the Arctic are catching the exhaled breaths of whales to better understand their health. How? Drones. Whales breathe through their blowholes, which are the equivalent of nostrils on their heads. By studying the microbes in exhaled whale breaths, scientists are piecing together how deadly diseases spread in whale populations. Host Emily Kwong and producer Berly McCoy talk to All Things Considered host Juana Summers about what scientists can do with this information, from reducing stress on whales and monitoring ocean health to warning people who could be in close proximity to whales carrying zoonotic diseases. Interested in more science on charismatic megafauna? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Why scientists are catching whale breaths....with drones : Short Wave
Scientists in the Arctic are catching the exhaled breaths of whales to better understand their health. How? Drones. Whales breathe through their blowholes, which are the equivalent of nostrils on their heads. By studying the microbes in exhaled whale breaths, scientists are piecing together how deadly diseases spread in whale populations. Host Emily Kwong and producer Berly McCoy talk to All Things Considered host Juana Summers about what scientists can do with this information, from reducing stress on whales and monitoring ocean health to warning people who could be in close proximity to whales carrying zoonotic diseases. Interested in more science on charismatic megafauna? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Tata Steel Says NGO Seeks $1.6 Billion for Alleged Health Damage
A Dutch nonprofit is seeking €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) in compensation from Tata Steel’s Netherlands units, alleging that harmful emissions from its operations have caused environmental harm and health damage to nearby residents.
Mark Cuban said new grads should join small businesses for one reason
The billionaire said new grads can help small and medium businesses adopt AI agents, something big companies don't need them for.
Jennifer Lawrence accidentally took Ambien before Philip Seymour Hoffman dance scene for 'Hunger Games'
Jennifer Lawrence recalls accidentally taking Ambien and 'hallucinating' while filming her dance scene with Philip Seymour Hoffman for 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire': 'Elizabeth Banks got really annoyed with me.'
Does science agree it’s better to give than receive? A doctor explains
Gift-giving is often framed as a source of stress and obligation, but a growing body of research suggests there may also be something beneficial about giving itself.
Experts met to discuss the ethics of using organoids in research
Organoids are bits of neural tissue that model human brain development. Their use in science makes some uneasy, in part because the brain is so closely tied to our sense of self.
Training: It’s Christmas!
Match Preview Forest v City: Kick-off time, team news, and TV information It’s a time of celebration, for families, friends and loved ones to come together and relax... but it’s also a time for fo...
Entertainment group closes out year with open mic night at Little Jamaica
444Force Entertainment hosted its final event of the year with an open mic night that brought together music, poetry and creative expression at Little Jamaica, a restaurant and lounge that
The 5 weirdest science experiments in history | BBC Science Focus Magazine
Although science often advances through tried-and-tested methods, sometimes scientists have to find creative ways to test their hypotheses.
My husband died unexpectedly 6 years ago. I'm so grateful for the many holiday photos and videos I have of him.
After her husband died weeks after Christmas, a woman reflects on their last holiday together and why capturing everyday moments now matters.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordyn Woods are officially engaged!
After five years together, the couple announced their engagement today, sharing photos at the Overstory rooftop bar in New York
See 'Malcolm in the Middle' family reunion on the bathroom set of sitcom revival
The 'Malcolm in the Middle' family reunited on set in a preview of the series revival, with Bryan Cranston, Frankie Muniz, and Jane Kaczmarek joining together in a sneak peek at the family bathroom.
The best distraction blockers to jumpstart your focus in the new year
Whether you need to limit social media scrolling or block off time to be productive, there are different tools that can help you stay on task
Faith, science and doctors’ struggle with end of life care
If you believe in medical miracles, it can keep you as a physician from giving up too soon.
I Just Realized Why I Recognize 'Stranger Things' Actor Jamie Campbell Bower and My Stan Heart Is Quaking
If you think 'Stranger Things' star Jamie Campbell Bower, aka Vecna, looks familiar, I found *the* movie you might know him from. Spoiler alert: It has something to do with vampires.
What Science Reveals About Money and a Happy Retirement
Whether you’re still planning or already retired, these research-based insights point the way to your best post-work life.
Nine brands responded on whether it’s better to use a native 12V-2x6 cable or the bundled GPU adapter
Nine brands on 12V-2x6 power cables and adapters - opinions are split Tech Overwrite had an interesting idea for a video: ask GPU and PSU brands directly
A surprising brain cleanup reduced epileptic seizures and restored memory
A new study suggests temporal lobe epilepsy may be linked to early aging of certain brain cells. When researchers removed these aging cells in mice, seizures dropped, memory improved, and some animals avoided epilepsy altogether. The treatment used drugs already known to science, raising the possibility of quicker translation to people. The results offer new hope for patients who do not respond to existing medications.
Astronomers discover one of the Universe’s largest spinning structures
Scientists have discovered a giant cosmic filament where galaxies spin in sync with the structure that holds them together. The razor-thin chain of galaxies sits inside a much larger filament that appears to be slowly rotating as a whole. This coordinated motion is far stronger than expected by chance and hints that galaxy spin may be inherited from the cosmic web itself. The finding opens a new window into how galaxies formed and how matter flows across the Universe.
A Christmas tree 80 light-years wide appears in space
This Christmas, astronomers are highlighting a spectacular region of space that looks remarkably like a glowing holiday tree. Known as NGC 2264, this distant star-forming region sits about 2,700 light-years away and is filled with newborn stars lighting up clouds of gas and dust. The stars form a triangular shape called the Christmas Tree cluster, crowned by the dramatic Cone Nebula and wrapped in the swirling Fox Fur Nebula below. Together, these features create a festive cosmic scene spanning nearly 80 light-years, showing how young stars shape their surroundings on a truly galactic scale.
Black men's mental health explored in Pulitzer-winning Detroit Rep play
Through the power of friendship, we are able to see the power in ourselves. This is the message of playwright Eboni Booth’s lovely “Primary Trust.”
Has the 2025 Rally in MSG Entertainment Already Gone Too Far?
If you are wondering whether Madison Square Garden Entertainment is still a bargain after its recent run, or if the easy money has already been made, this breakdown is for you. The stock has climbed 5.7% over the last week, 15.4% over the past month, and 52.6% year to date, with a 64.1% gain over the past year reshaping how the market is viewing its potential. Investors have been reacting to a stream of venue and live-event related headlines, including ongoing buzz around premium experiences...
What are asteroids really made of? New analysis brings space mining closer to reality
Scientists are digging into the hidden makeup of carbon-rich asteroids to see whether they could one day fuel space exploration—or even be mined for valuable resources. By analyzing rare meteorites that naturally fall to Earth, researchers have uncovered clues about the chemistry, history, and potential usefulness of these ancient space rocks. While large-scale asteroid mining is still far off, the study highlights specific asteroid types that may be promising targets, especially for water extraction.
10-Leg NFL Christmas Parlay for the Holiday Weekend
Looking to make the NFL Christmas action more entertaining? Here's a 10-leg parlay that FOX Sports Research put together.
Moment of Science: Year in Review
Whether you’re old school, new school, or out of school, it’s always good to learn something new.
‘I feel great’ - Kenneth Walker talks to Field Gulls about his health, Seahawks’ season, and more
The Seahawks’ star running back isn’t taking anything for granted, and he’s doing what he can to stay 100% for the team.
Charlie Loves Science: Reindeer food
Santa’s reindeer will be hard at work tonight, so be sure to leave them something yummy
This is how to stream Christmas movies like 'Elf' and 'Polar Express'
Christmas time is here, and we put together your guide for how to stream 11 of the biggest holiday hits with your family.
HALPER SADEH LLC ENCOURAGES WEBTOON ENTERTAINMENT INC. SHAREHOLDERS TO CONTACT THE FIRM TO DISCUSS THEIR RIGHTS
/PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating whether certain officers and directors of WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ:...
The Year in Entertainment 2025: The TV that was top
The small screen took us everywhere from the shores of Cousins Beach to the emergency room at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center this year. Here's a look at the shows and limited series that defined 2025:It was the medical procedural drama The Pitt that scored the top prize at the Emmys this year. Led by Noah Wyle, who won the best actor in a drama Emmy for his portrayal of Dr. Robby in the new series, The Pitt's first season followed the challenges faced by health care workers on the front lines over the course of a single, 15-hour shift at the hospital. Other big winners at the ceremony included Seth Rogen's new comedy series The Studio, as well as the Netflix limited series Adolescence.Many prestige shows captured the cultural zeitgeist in 2025. Fans traveled to Thailand to check in for season 3 of The White Lotus, while the mystery at Lumon Industries continued to unfold as Severance season 2 rolled out. The Last of Us viewers mourned a fan-favorite character during its sophomore season, while Star Wars fans returned to a galaxy far, far away to bid farewell to Andor as it debuted its second and final season.Nobody could stop talking about The Summer I Turned Pretty. Whether you were team Conrad or team Jeremiah, fans couldn't keep their eyes off the dramatic third season of the teen romance series, which spanned from the U.S.'s East Coast all the way to Paris. While the series ended with Belly finally picking which brother she wanted to be with, the story isn't quite over. A feature film that will end the romantic saga has been greenlit by Prime Video.Finally, the year ended with the release of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. It turned Netflix's streaming records upside down, accumulating 59.6 million views in its first five days and becoming the best-ever premiere week viewing numbers for an English-language series on the streaming platform.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Quicken Business and Personal vs. QuickBooks
Not sure whether Quicken or QuickBooks fits your needs? Here's what really sets these platforms apart.
What Americans would tell Donald Trump or Democratic leaders if they could
Most Americans don’t have faith that their political leaders care what they have to say. But if they had the chance to tell Washington something, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds, they’d say plenty, much of it about the economy.
US signs health agreements with African nations, warns against nonperformance
The U.S. signed four new global health memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Botswana, and Ethiopia, which total nearly $2.3 billion in funding, the State Department said on Tuesday.
Advancing the America First Global Health Strategy Through Landmark Bilateral Global Health MOUs - United States Department of State
On December 22 and 23, the United States signed four additional new, landmark global health Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Botswana, and Ethiopia, reinforcing U.S. leadership that delivers measurable results for the American people and puts America First by directly countering global infectious disease threats and reducing foreign dependence on U.S. taxpayers. […]
Seetharaman named S&T’s chair of materials science and engineering
Dr. Sridhar Seetharaman has been named chair of materials science and engineering at Missouri S&T. He will begin his duties in January.
James Cameron Slams Amy Poehler For 'Ignorant Dig' From ... 12 Years Ago
Twelve years ago, Poehler said something the director will never forget.
New reactor produces clean energy and carbon nanotubes from natural gas
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed a new reactor that converts natural gas (a common energy source primarily composed of methane) into two highly valuable resources: clean hydrogen ...
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' reveals casting for Sulu and Bones
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' has revealed the casting for two fan-favorites characters that will appear in season 5's finale episode.
27-year-old boosted his income from $50,000 to $432,000 at Amazon in 5 years—it allowed him to quit and start his own business
Nabeel Khan was methodical in building his career at Amazon, rising the ranks quickly from operations manager to project manager to product manager.
Popstar! Best of 2025: The Fan-Voted Entertainment Rewind That Defined the Year
/PRNewswire/ -- From blockbuster premieres to viral moments, Popstar! Best of 2025 is a fan-voted celebration of the movies, shows, music, and cultural moments...
A national grant expands faith and health education - News
A new grant is helping Missouri State faculty teach students how to recognize and respond to the influences of faith and spirituality in care settings.
Your roommate’s genes may be shaping your gut bacteria
Scientists studying thousands of rats discovered that gut bacteria are shaped by both personal genetics and the genetics of social partners. Some genes promote certain microbes that can spread between individuals living together. When researchers accounted for this social sharing, genetic influence on the microbiome turned out to be much stronger than previously thought. The study suggests genes can affect others indirectly, without DNA ever being exchanged.
Nine mental-health tips for a happier 2026
Regardless of any resolutions you may have for 2026, one thing is for sure: Everyone wants to have a happy new year.While losing weight or saving money may be great goals, the most straightforward path to happiness is caring for your mental and emotional health. A robust body of research shows that simple cognitive and behavioral strategies can reliably boost happiness and reduce stress – and they’re generally free and accessible to all.These strategies don’t have to be super time-consuming, but they do require intention: They only work if you do them.Here, psychologist Valentina Ogaryan, PhD, clinical director of the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, shares her top tips for cultivating more calm, centeredness and happiness in the new year (or anytime):Make time for playPlay isn’t just for kids, and it’s far from frivolous. The National Institute for Play says engaging in silliness, fun and just-for-pleasure activities reduces stress and increases optimism and resilience. A recent review also found that play improves mental health.“Adults can benefit from play as much as children,” Dr. Ogaryan says, “not just as a reward, but something that helps regulate.”So go ahead and dance with your dog, build something with Legos, tell a joke, sing karaoke or do anything else that feels like fun. Don’t worry about being productive, just enjoy yourself. And, if you can, opt for more analog play, Dr. Ogaryan suggests, as a respite from our ever-more-digital world. Move your bodyWhether you dance, ski, do yoga, play pickleball, ride a bike, roller-skate, hike or lift weights, physical movement benefits overall happiness and well-being. A 2018 review study of more than 1.2 million adults in the U.S. found that doing any kind of exercise was “significantly and meaningfully associated” with better self-reported mental health.The sweet spot was 45 minutes of movement three to five times a week, but even short bursts of physical activity can boost brain health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“Movement helps support mood and regulate the nervous system,” Dr. Ogaryan says.Plus: exercise can improve sleep quality, and sleep is essential for mental health.Prioritize sleep“Sleep plays a major role in managing stress,” Dr. Ogaryan says. Research shows that lack of sufficient sleep increases the risk of various diseases, including depression.While stress can interfere with sleep, practicing good sleep hygiene can make logging ZZ’s easier. That means maintaining a consistent bedtime; keeping the bedroom cool, dark and quiet; and avoiding social media, news and stimulating shows before bed.Consume lessWe live in a consumer culture, inundated by endless streams of content and advertising everywhere we go, which makes it easy to get overstimulated.“Something really helpful for stress reduction is to simply consume less,” Dr. Ogaryan says – less news, less social media, less information, less noise, less screen time. “It’s about reducing the input,” she says.Consider setting a maximum number of news articles per day, for example, or a time limit on scrolling. Maybe even go device free for an afternoon or a whole day.Practice present-moment awarenessWith so much coming at us all the time, focusing on the here and now can make life feel more manageable, Dr. Ogaryan says: “When everything feels super overwhelming, when everything feels larger than life, let’s make our world a little bit smaller for that moment in time.”She suggests taking things one day, or even one hour, at a time. Ask yourself: What’s my next right action? Release the need to know how everything turns out and liberate yourself from having to handle everything right now. Let the future take care of itself and just focus on the current moment. Then the next one. Have a daily anchorFrom work to the daily commute to family and life responsibilities, our days can feel jam-packed. Dr. Ogaryan recommends creating a centering daily anchor that can fit into even the busiest day.Maybe it’s a 10-minute walk during your lunch break or mindfully enjoying your coffee in the morning. Let your anchor adapt to your needs each day, she says, but be intentional about using that time to ground yourself and calm your nervous system. You might even say to yourself, “I choose this walk to help me become centered,” or “My day already feels stressful, so I’m going to take the next 10 minutes to enjoy this cup of coffee, feel the warm mug in my hand and just be present.” Having an anchor won’t erase the busy-ness from your day, but it will allow you to approach it more calmly.Be kind to yourselfMost of us have a harsh inner critic in our heads who works overtime. But that critical voice only increases our stress, triggering the same fight-or-flight response as caustic words from another person.To feel happier, we need to replace that inner critic with a kinder, more compassionate voice, Dr. Ogaryan says. Studies show that self-compassion is a source of eudaimonic happiness – the kind of happiness associated with purpose and meaning in life.While our knee-jerk reaction may be to self-criticize – “How could you let it get to this point? You didn’t manage your time well and now the project is going to be late. You’re so inept.” – we fare better mentally by treating ourselves with kindness, like we would a friend. That might sound like, “You’ve got a lot on your plate, but you are capable and you’ll get it done. I believe in you.”We may think that speaking kindly to ourselves means letting ourselves off the hook, so we end up becoming lazy do-nothings. But research shows the opposite: People who are self-compassionate are more likely to try harder in the face of failure and ultimately reach their goals.You can thank your inner critic for its good intentions, but resolve to talk to yourself in a kind, compassionate voice.Connect with othersHumans are social animals built for connection. Stress can be isolating and cause us to withdraw, but connecting with others is a salve for the psyche, Dr. Ogaryan says.“We know that not all relationships are always easy, but if we can think about intentional, nourishing connection – even in really small doses – it could really help center us,” she says.Take a moment to laugh with your colleagues, hug your pet, have a conversation with a friend or smile at the barista making your coffee. A study found that even tiny interactions with casual acquaintances and strangers decreases loneliness and improves happiness and well-being.Seek supportIf you try these practices and happiness remains elusive, or if you can’t access the wherewithal to follow these tips, seek support from your physician or a therapist. Mental health conditions are among the most common health issues in the U.S. and around the world – more prevalent than diabetes or heart disease. One in five people in the U.S. experiences a mental illness each year, with depression and anxiety the most common, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.“We can all think about these tips,” Dr. Ogaryan says. “But it’s important to recognize if you’ve done everything you can and you’re still really struggling, it’s really important to seek help.”
The disunity of science is a feature, not a bug
Mathematical models wield miraculous power, but mistaking them for reality has trapped science in a destructive quest for a “Theory of Everything.” Physicist and philosopher Ragner Fjelland argues that this leads to bloated, Frankenstein theories kept alive by clumsy, ad-hoc amendments, which reduce rather than boost science’s power. Fjelland calls for a radical shift in our attitude: we must reorientate towards creating entirely new theories, celebrating rather than lamenting disunity and diversity in science. Science, from the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century to the present day, has more or less developed in a “reductionist” way. The fundamental assumption is that all sciences may be ordered in a hierarchy that can be represented as an upside-down pyramid. At the top we find the human sciences, and at the bottom physics. Strong (or “ontological”) reductionism maintains that all theories at one level can be completely reduced to the lower level, all the way down to theories of atoms and elementary particles, or whatever is “at the bottom.” In the end, all diversity in the world can be unified in one fundamental theory. Hence it is called a final theory, or a Theory of Everything.One of the central figures in developing the idea of a Theory of Everything is the Dutch theoretical physicist Gerard 't Hooft, who received a Nobel Prize in physics in 1999 for his work. He emphasizes the non-empirical status of the theory:There exists no closely resembling alternative theory. This means that any slight change brought about in the rules would make the theory unlikely or inelegant. The theory will be a "package deal": take it, or leave it. This should hold both for the local laws and for the boundary conditions.This endeavor is not new. On the contrary, it goes all the way back to the birth of Western philosophy 2,500 years ago. The Babylonians made regular astronomical observations during a period of 600 years, from 747 BCE until 150 ACE. They developed mathematical techniques to predict astronomical phenomena, but they made no attempts at explaining them. However, the Greeks developed models, both material and theoretical, to explain the observed phenomena.The best example is Plato’s late dialogue Timaeus. Here he introduces a divine craftsman, the Demiurge, who has constructed the universe according to an original plan. Plato seems to have thought that the original plan is what is actually real, while the material world is merely an imperfect realization of it. He therefore does not, in the Timaeus, reconstruct the material universe, but the original plan, which can then be used to explain the material universe.Plato’s aim in producing a theoretical model is to reconstruct the original plan. That is what he carries out in Timaeus—and some modern physicists have embarked on the same project. For example, Einstein’s basic attitude is reflected in the title of Abraham Pais’ biography: “Subtle is the Lord...,” echoing Einstein’s comment, “Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.” In an interview Einstein compared our situation to a child who enters a huge library. The child knows that someone has written the books, but he does not know the languages in which they are written. He suspects that there is a mysterious order, but he does not know what it is.___“We have all been working in what Husserl called the Galilean style; that is, we have all been making abstract mathematical models of the universe to which at least the physicists give a higher degree of reality than they accord the ordinary world of sensation.”Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)___This Platonist view is contrary to a widespread impression of science, symbolized by the picture of the “father” of modern science, Galileo Galilei, with his telescope. According to this impression, Galileo liberated himself from the dominating metaphysics of his day—basically Aristotelian philosophy—and constructed a telescope that he directed towards the sky, showing that Jupiter has four moons. He also performed experiments with bronze balls rolling down inclined planes and found the law of freely falling bodies.However, in other cases Galileo emphasized the unreliability of our senses. It is easy to see why. He defended Copernicus’ heliocentric hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, we are not at rest at the center of the universe, but moving at a tremendous speed through space. Why don’t we observe this motion? Galileo praises Copernicus because “with reason as his guide he resolutely continued to affirm what sensible experience seemed to contradict.” In other places he directly refers to Plato. SUGGESTED VIEWING The quest for a final theory With Michio Kaku Galileo’s Platonism goes back to his early writings. In The Assayer, published as early as 1623, Galileo compared the universe to a grand book that is written in the language of mathematics, and “its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it.” Therefore, things that cannot be described by mathematics—for example, colors, smells and odors—are not real. They are merely subjective.This division into subjective and objective, advocated by Galileo and his younger contemporary René Descartes, is normally associated with a mechanistic world view, which is regarded as the opposite of Platonism. When we reduce something to, for example, molecules and atoms, we move “downwards.” In contrast, the Platonist moves “upwards,” to abstract entities. However, it only shows that when we address fundamental questions, we should be careful in applying everyday spatial metaphors like “up” and “down.”___Nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world.___The endeavor of finding a Theory of Everything has been heavily criticized. In 2006, the theoretical physicist Lee Smolin published “The Crisis in Fundamental Physics.” He argued that one of the most fundamental principles of science is that we should only regard theories as scientific if we have the possibility to show that they are false by experiments. Although he did not refer to Karl Popper, other critics have referred to Popper and argued that a theory is not scientific if it cannot be falsified (see for example Ellis & Silk 2014).These were not the first physicists to be anti-reductionists. In 1972, the journal Science published an article by the physicist Philip Anderson with the title “More Is Different.” This is the kind of article a scientist would normally write only after he has won a Nobel Prize. However, Anderson won the Nobel Prize for physics five years later, in 1977. The article is amazing, not primarily because it argues in favor of anti-reductionism in general, but because it argues for anti-reductionism within physics itself. Anderson’s conclusion was:At each stage entirely new laws, concepts, and generalizations are necessary, requiring inspiration and creativity to just as great a degree as in the previous one. Psychology is not applied biology, nor is biology applied chemistry.We may say that Plato started the “unity of science movement,” based on Euclidean geometry as the model of all knowledge. A distinguishing mark of geometry is that all possible constructions can be reduced to a few fundamental principles. We have to acknowledge that this approach has limitations. In general, we can easily model technological systems. In addition, we may construct simplified and idealized models that capture important aspects of systems, from various perspectives and for various purposes. But nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world. In a complex system, each level has its distinct, emergent, properties that are characteristic of this level. Therefore, a complex system should be investigated at different levels and from different perspectives. Instead of exclusively pursuing a scientific ideal based on the unity of science, we should acknowledge the diversity—or even the disunity—of science.
Managing the politics of a holiday get-together
We live in a polarized nation, and sometimes, those varying political beliefs and opinions make their way to the holiday dinner table. It can be awkward and uncomfortable. So, how can we bring it all back together and appreciate one another’s company? WEMU’s John Stockwell went looking for answers and, as you’ll hear, found a number of them.
Quitting a job to go on a European road trip helped her rethink her career
Nurya Doorenbos took a five-month European road trip to figure out what she truly wanted to do for work.
'The ambition around the club feels different now'
Ethan Ampadu was immense, setting the tempo from the back and leading like a proper captain, calm in possession but aggressive when it mattered. The atmosphere lifted every time he stepped in to break up play. The free transfer signing of Dominic Calvert-Lewin already looks inspired.